The McGraw Crime Novels by Eric Beetner Now Available from Down & Out Books!

We are thrilled to announce that the two books in the McGraw crime novel series by Eric Beetner, RUMRUNNERS and the 2017 Anthony Award-nominated LEADFOOT, are now available exclusively from Down & Out Books in trade paperback and ebook formats.

“When Eric asked if we might be interested in reissuing these two books, I immediately jumped at the opportunity,” said Eric Campbell, Publisher of Down & Out Books. “These are two of the most dynamic, thrilling books I’ve read in a long while and I am so excited to be able to share them with a new audience of readers.”

Rumrunners tells the story of a multi-generational family of drivers for a crime family. When one goes missing—together with a shipment of drugs—it’s up to his father and son to find out what happened.

Leadfoot is a prequel to the series, set in the early ’70s. In a review of the book, Crimespree Magazine said, “Beetner proves he is the one true master of the modern pulp novel.”

And good news for fans of the series. We hear that Eric is planning a third book featuring this family of characters. More on that soon!

New in the Down & Out Bookstore This Month

July 10: SOUTH OF CINCINNATI, the 2nd Jon Catlett crime novel by Jonathan Ashley.

Jon Catlett and Paul Frank have turned their once-failing used bookstore into one of the most thriving businesses in the Highlands. But they paid in blood for their success, for Second Story Books is not just another dusty thrift shop, but a front for the largest heroin distribution network ever based in Louisville.

The two eccentric intellectuals-turned-gun thugs enlist the help of an unscrupulous narcotics cop nicknamed Mad Dog and a former marine importing dope through Fort Knox from Afghanistan purer than anything the city has ever seen. In between trading muzzle flashes with a corrupt and psychotic DEA agent and thwarting two crusading homicide detectives, Catlett and Frank plan to corner the market…or at least everything South of Cincinnati.

July 17: POLO’S LONG SHOT, the 11th Nick Polo Mystery by Jerry Kennealy.

Billionaire vintner Paul Bernier sets San Francisco ex-cop, ex-con, private eye Nick Polo off on a hunt to find a kukri, a priceless golden jewel-encrusted 14th Century dagger, designed by the Emperor of India. The dagger has a long, bloody history, passing between war lords throughout the ages, including Saddam Hussain.

The search has Polo bumping heads with Bernier’s vindictive stepdaughter, his eccentric household staff, a Miami con man, a crooked private investigator, a drug dealing nightclub owner, a New York Mafia Don, and two viscous murderers.

When all seems lost, Polo gets help from Mrs. Damonte, his indomitable octogenarian downstairs tenant, a self-described Strega, a witch, who believes that a day without a wake is like a day without sunshine.

July 21: THROUGH THE ANT FARM by Robert Leland Taylor.

I’m not really retarded, as far as I know, but I suppose some of the other inmates around here might think so. Not because I killed my daddy, but because of the social thing—I'm just not very good at it…And it's a shame, too, because I know God would've been very proud of me, saving his little creatures and all. There's not a doubt in my mind.

Published by ABC Group Documentation, an imprint of Down & Out Books.

July 31: CAROLINA CRIMES: 21 TALES OF NEED, GREED AND DIRTY DEEDS, edited by Nora Gaskin Esthimer with an introduction by Jeffery Deaver.

Carolina Crimes: 21 Tales of Need, Greed and Dirty Deeds remind us why we love crime fiction, and why it matters. They provide us with the cold revenges of imagination, the hot passion someone could kill for, and the sense of justice a community demands. We may never know exactly what our next-door neighbor may be capable of, or for that matter, what we ourselves harbor in the deepest corners of our hearts and minds. The humor is dark. The suspense is shudder-producing. The horror delivers goosebumps. And by the time we turn the last satisfying page, we know more about what it means to be human.

Our Featured 99¢ Crime Novel for Early July

From July 1st through 16th, HUSTLE, a crime novel by Tom Pitts, may be purchased for just 99¢ on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, and Kobo. Also available from the Down & Out Bookstore in both .mobi and .epub formats. And don't forget to check out Tom's new book, the highly acclaimed AMERICAN STATIC.

Two young hustlers, caught in an endless cycle of addiction and prostitution, decide to blackmail an elderly client of theirs. Donny and Big Rich want to film Gabriel Thaxton with their cell phones during a sexual act and put the video up on YouTube. Little do they know, the man they’ve chosen, a high-profile San Francisco defense attorney, is already being blackmailed by someone more sinister: an ex-client of the lawyer’s. A murderous speed freak named Dustin has already permeated the attorney’s life and Dustin has plans for the old man. The lawyer calls upon an old biker for help and they begin a violent race to suppress his deadly secret.

“What makes Hustle such a remarkable book—and Tom Pitts such a formidable writer—is the juxtaposition of literary tradition versus street ethos. This is in-the-trenches, first-hand, in-your-face reportage, from a guy who knows what it takes to survive those streets. Unflinching and without apology.” — Joe Clifford, author of Junkie Love and Lamentation

This Month's Featured Author: Jerry Kennealy

In a continuing series of features from our authors, Jerry Kennealy writes about the Difference between a Fictional and a So-Called Real Life Private Investigator. And, after a 20 year absence, Jerry brings back PI Nick Polo in POLO’S LONG SHOT, new on bookshelves this month.

What’s the difference between a fictional and a so-called real life private investigator?

I’ve been asked this question often. I was a licensed private investigator in San Francisco for more than twenty-five years, and there are a few things that I see as being different.

• Client base. I envied all of those fictional PIs (my Nick Polo included) who were able to take a single case and run with it for days or weeks. To stay in business, a private investigator needs multiple clients, and works on several cases at the same time. Like all small businessman, there are bills to be paid: rent, phone, a secretary and the cash that goes out for “confidential information.”

I still enjoy rereading Raymond Chandler, with Marlowe alone in his office, putting a dent in the office bottle and waiting for someone to drop in with a case. In real life if there’s no work, you go out and “buy it.” I’d provide martinis, wine, and crab salads to clients and sure enough, a job would pop out of their briefcase.

Continue reading…

Down & Out Authors on the Net

• J.L. Abramo was interviewed on Books Can Be Deadly where he talks about his latest crime novel, CONEY ISLAND AVENUE. 

• Publisher Eric Campbell was interviewed by Pam Stack on Authors on the Air, talking about his years in the publishing business and celebrating six years since founding Down & Out Books.

• Later Eric spoke with SleuthSayers on the current state of the crime novella.

• Jen Conley, author of the short story collection CANNIBALS: STORIES FROM THE EDGE OF THE PINE BARRENS—nominated for a 2017 Anthony Award—was interviewed by the Mystery Writers of America. 

• Danny Gardner talks about his new crime novel A NEGRO AND AN OFAY on Wrong Place, Write Crime.

• And we were thrilled to see that Danny's book was named one of the Best Fiction Titles of 2017 by the Chicago Review of Books!

• Greg Herren, editor of the Bouchercon 2017 anthology BLOOD ON THE BAYOU, was nominated for a Macavity Award for his story, "Survivor’s Guilt." Two other Down & Out Books authors, Paul D. Marks and Art Taylor, also had stories nominated. Congratulations to all!

• Jeffery Hess was interrogated by S.W. Lauden on his new collection of Navy noir, COLD WAR CANOE CLUB. 

• Lawrence Kelter was featured in The Big Thrill talking about his new book, BACK TO BROOKLYN, the sequel to MY COUSIN VINNY.

• Dana King was featured on TribLive talking about his Penns River crime novels, the most recent of which is RESURRECTION MALL.

• Tom Pitts was a featured author on Authors Interviews, talking about his crime novel AMERICAN STATIC. 

• Tom later spoke with Renee Asher of Do Some Damage talks to talk about how important settings are to his stories.

• And the very busy author checked in with Mystery Tribune, where he shared the origin story for AMERICAN STATIC.

• Tom also participated in an interview with Books Can Be Deadly.

• Finally, Tom stopped by Omnimystery News to answer a few more questions about his new crime thriller.

New This Month on NetGalley

Down & Out Books has uploaded two new titles for review this month.

BOLT ACTION REMEDY, a Trevor Galloway Thriller by J.J. Hensley (October 2, 2017) and SHAKEDOWN by Martin Bodenham (November 13, 2017) have been added to our library on NetGalley this month.

If you are interested in obtaining an eARC of our selection of available titles for review, visit the Down & Out Books page on NetGalley and submit your request. We value your honest opinion of our books and hope to see your reviews on the Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble sites or your own website or blog. Send us your link!

Newsletter News

Beginning this month, we’re splitting our monthly Newsletter into two issues, one delivered early in the month, one around mid-month. We hope this change will provide you with more timely information and give us an opportunity to share more exciting news about our authors and titles.